From slick ’80s swim clubs to rustic rock pools tucked below cliffs, the city of Sydney has more ocean pools than any other major Australian city. But they’re not all aces. Despite the fact that Sydneysiders love them for their shabbiness and old-school charm, many of the city’s pools are in dire need of a makeover. And the cost blowouts and logistical headaches often associated with big local council projects are prompting a new level of caution when it comes to refurbishing or building public pools.
In this article, we take a look at some of the most popular sidney pools that are getting the upgrade treatment this summer. We also consider what impact rising sea levels will have on the future of Sydney’s iconic swim spots.
The first of these is the Andrew “Boy” Charlton Pool, in Woolloomooloo Bay. The eight-lane outdoor salt-water pool was named in honour of Australian swimming legend and Olympic gold medallist in 1920s and ’30s, Andrew Charlton. It’s a great place to spend a sunny day and a good spot for kids’ swimming lessons.
Another of Sydney’s gems is Bondi Icebergs, the ultimate Sydney rockpool. The pool is filled with filtered harbour water in calm, forested surroundings on Cremorne Point. You can peer over the boardwalk for picture postcard views of the harbour. It’s a great place to visit in winter when the temperature dips and swimmers can test their cold-temperature endurance training.
The city’s other iconic ocean pool is Bronte Beach, where a corrugated iron and painted cream bathhouse sits beneath a cliff of Balmain’s sandstone cliffs. The Baths, as they’re known, were a popular meeting place for men’s and women’s swimming clubs and the NSW Amateur Swimming Association before its formation in 1891. It’s now one of Australia’s most popular swimming beaches.
There’s nothing quite like a swim at Bronte Beach, but it’s not for everyone. “I think they’re trying to turn this into some kind of a family park, and it’s not a place where you should go just to get your swim in,” says one local resident.
Other swimmers aren’t as worried about the changing climate. They think that it’s worth it to keep the pool clean and safe for families, and they enjoy swimming with a view of Woolloomooloo Bay from this secluded oasis.
But rising sea levels will have a major effect on ocean pools and it might be time to start raising the bottoms. “There’s going to come a point where you can’t maintain them the way they are, as the sand will be washed away,” says Nicole Larkin, who studies ocean pools.
For anyone interested in learning more about Sydney’s pools, there are a few websites that provide more information, including All Into Ocean Pools, a site maintained by Marie-Louise McDermott, whose dissertation is all about these man-made public seawater pools. There’s also a Flickr account dedicated to Sydney pools that is worth checking out, although it hasn’t been updated in a while.